The Fall of Neverland
by The Timeless Clock
Summary: Robin is a girl with a one-way ticket to Neverland. After two years of growing older, she finds Neverland has changed. Darkness has swept over the people and the places. And over Peter Pan. Is he still the same boy...or a changed man?
1. Reminiscing at the Window

**Author's Note: Well, I thought I'd left fanfiction not too long ago. But, for some reason, I felt the urge to write this one. I've always been fascinated by Peter Pan. I never want to grow up and, if he ever came for me, I'd leave without much thought. Anyway, I hope I finish this. But don't count on my updates being regular. As readers of my other work can tell you – I sometimes leave you hanging for a while. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and I'd love to know what you think. I love reviews :)**

**This one is quite short but I'll make them longer if you like it!**

* * *

><p>I stared at my open window for a little while, just watching and...thinking. The night sky was an inky black and seemed to swirl above the rooftops. Stars twinkled, tiny pinpricks in the distance. A round moon shone brightly, white and pure as the snow on the ground. Smoke rose from several chimneys and fairy lights adorned the streets, twirled around lampposts and hung from roof tops. They winked at me cheekily and seemed to ask 'what are you waiting for?' <em>What am I waiting for? <em>I thought, looking down at my shoes. _Haven't I waited long enough? Hasn't he...waited long enough? _I sighed, not sure whether to go through with it all. Not sure whether I should

But I wanted to.

I did.

Two long years it had been. Two years and two birthdays. I thought back to my twelve year old self, the girl who had stared through this very window. Was she still me? Was I the same girl? Perhaps.

I wanted to go. I deserved to, after waiting so long. Or did I? It was my own fault. Maybe he didn't want me back. Maybe I wasn't welcome. But I looked at the tiny bottle in my hand and smiled. I had to find out. I clambered onto my window sill and teetered dangerously on the edge for a moment, almost falling two stories to the ground below. Well, minus the snow that was four foot deep. I felt guilty, seeing as it was Christmas in about a week but I shook that off and tried hard not to think of the tree downstairs. The one I had put the angel on top of for so many years...

But not this one.

A tear escaped my eye and rolled down my cheek but I brushed it roughly away as I uncorked the bottle and let the golden dust fall into my palm. I closed my eyes and sprinkled it carefully over my head. I paused to look at my room once more, just before I left it for good. Then I was gone. I jumped from my window and felt the cold night air rush past me and whip my long brown hair. I imagined flying amongst the stars then, perhaps stopping by to say hello to the little prince. I opened my eyes and glimpsed the houses below me, the roads and the streets. I was free...at last. Before I'd gained much height my thoughts veered dangerously. The note on my parent's bedside table, two years of time, not being wanted, being afraid. Those cold lonely night and...tears.

Then I was falling. No longer flying. The air rushed past me on my descent and I let out a small scream. My body hit a roof with force and I rolled down it, my hands scrabbling desperately at the tiles. I managed to cling on and I paused for a moment, my heart hammering in my chest, my pulse racing. "Happy thoughts." I muttered "happy thoughts." I let go of the roof with some reluctance and launched into the air again.

"Happy thoughts." I muttered to myself.

My hands were numb from the harsh winter weather and I had to touch my nose just to make sure it was still there. I longed to stop for a while, flying in winter isn't the most pleasant of experiences but I daren't stop. Only enough pixie dust to get me to Neverland. Nowhere else. No detours. No returns. "Second star to the right and straight on till morning." I breathed, my breath flying past me in a cloud. "Till morning." I sighed, it was going to be a lonely night. A long and lonely night.


	2. Neverland or Nowhereland?

**Author's Note: Thought I'd give you two chapters to get you started and into things :) The italics are memories, in case you don't quite get that. But I must stop now because I've been writing things all day and my hands really hurt. Enjoy :)**

**P.S. I really love feedback and constructive advice is always welcome!**

* * *

><p>"<em>And you are?" I said, nervously backing away from the boy in my window.<em>

"_Why! I'm Peter Pan of course. You've never heard of me?" I stepped closer and noticed his bright eyes and laughing grin. His hair tousled as if he'd just come through a hedge backwards._

"_The boy who never grew up?" I asked in disbelief. I'd loved the stories, always, but I never dared believe...well, it was all too good to be true, wasn't it? _

"_The one and only." Said Peter, punching the air with his fist "I knew it wasn't possible you didn't know who I was." This arrogant remark made me frown and look at Peter Pan for the child he really was. He couldn't have been more than fourteen, two years older than me. _

"_What is it you want?" I said, half hoping yet not daring to think about the possibility that I was about to step right into a story. A fantasy story with flying and fairies and-_

_Peter Pan interrupted my thoughts "I thought you might want to come to Neverland." He shrugged "but if you don't want to I'll just go and ask your sister." My sister. Me beautiful blonde little sister with a face like an angel and the manners of the Queen. I thought about her ringlets spread out on the pillow and the horror upon her sculpted face as a bedraggled boy barged in though her window, shaking her roughly awake and disturbing her collection of stuffed animals. She'd scream, that was for sure. She'd never leave the comfort of her pretty pink room, her clothes smelling of a delicate rose petal. I grinned and almost wanted to ask Peter to go and wake my sister but stopped myself just in time._

_If my parents saw him, he'd leave. I wouldn't be able to go. Peter smiled at my silence "having a bit of a debate, are we?" I looked up at him and he sighed "look, I know what your sister, Primrose, is like. Why do you think I came to see you instead? She's only seven, definitely a child, but a child who plays with china dolls and has tea parties. Dresses up in your mother's clothes and pretends to be a grown up in her high heeled shoes. She'd hate Neverland. But you-"_

"_How do you know all this?" I said, a little disconcerted at Peter seemed to be able to describe my sister half as well as me. _

_Peter looked a little guilty "I've been watching." That made me feel a whole lot better. For who knows how many weeks, I'd had some little boy spying on me and my family. "Are you coming, or not?" Said Peter, getting impatient and holding out his hand. One leg on the window sill, the other still in my room. _

* * *

><p>I couldn't see Neverland yet, and who knows how long I'd been flying for. My cheeks were red and my fingers officially frozen. I was flying above the clouds now, so I thought of my time in Neverland. The last time. And when Peter came to take me away. They were happy times. I couldn't fall from this height, it would be suicide to start reminiscing upon the bad times. The cold times. I swooped below the clouds and saw the sea. Such a huge expanse of black waters, waiting to swallow me up. Occasionally I saw the moon reflect of its surface, skimming the top of a wave. They were big waves. Rocky waves. And I thanked my lucky stars I was flying, not swimming with the fishes.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Why not? I thought to myself and, without thinking, I took Peter's hand and let him pull me out into the night. A shower of golden dust fell over me and I didn't really need to think a happy thought, I was happy enough as it was. I didn't look back once as we rushed through the air, away from my home. Away from my sleeping parents. I didn't care. I was going to Neverland. "I knew you'd come." Said Peter, grinning at me.<em>

"_How?"_

"_They always do." He said, his face practically glowing._

"_You think far too highly of yourself, do you know that?" I said, frowning "has nobody turned you down?"_

"_Not once." Said Peter, happily._

"_Perhaps you should have woken my sister, break your record."_

"_I couldn't do that although...Tinker Bell might not mind."_

"_Speaking of Tinker Bell, where is she?" _

"_Oh, she didn't want to come. She has something against me going into people's bedrooms and whisking them off to Neverland. She says I'll only get hurt..." At this last comment, Peter's face actually became serious and I felt a little sorry for him._

"_Why?"_

"_Well nobody ever wants to stay. They all want to go home, don't they? Back to their old lives and growing up and their parents."_

"_I...I'll stay." I said, again not thinking about my words._

"_They all say that, Robin. Everyone thinks they want to stay. But they never do."_

"_I will stay. I will." I said, now determined not to go back on my word "I mean, who wants to grow up? Who would leave a life of adventure behind?"_

_Peter began counting the names off on his fingers "Wendy Darling, Jane Darling, Lucy Darling-"_

"_But they're all Darlings."_

"_Well...yes. I always go back for one of them. Different generations and then, since Wendy had a daughter but Wendy had brothers and they had children, I went for them too. So, really, they are all related. Even though some have different last names because of marriage, like-"_

_I cut him off "maybe it's just how they're brought up. Have you ever tried to take someone who isn't a Darling to Neverland?"_

"_Only you, Miss Young."_

"_And with a name like that," I said "how can I afford to grow up?" _

* * *

><p>I was really rather windswept by the time I collapsed on the shores of Neverland. That and tired. So very tired. I got to my feet, they shook slightly as I walked, not quite used to the ground beneath them. My pixie dust had run out, so I had no choice but to walk from the beach and make my way into the forest. My hand flew to my neck and grasped the necklace I had on, relieved at its familiar feel, I let by arm drop by my side and I raised my eyes to Neverland.<p>

It's beautiful golden beach, green trees and blue skies with white fluffy clouds- I stopped. Did a double take. And another one. I looked around me, not quite sure where I was. It wasn't Neverland. It couldn't be. No. The sky was a steely grey, several black clouds loomed over head. A cold wind bit into my skin and clawed at my face. It was always warm in Neverland. Or was it? I looked at the forest and stared at the shadows, the ominous darkness. Even the sand beneath my feet was grainy and dull. The sea was grey, waves crashing against the shore, white spray hitting the beach, soaking me. Where was I?

This wasn't Neverland. It couldn't be. I'd landed on some alien planet where everything was...horrible. Truly horrible.


	3. Flying and Falling

**Author's Note: Look how good I'm being! Updating this fast and I thought I'd left fanfiction for good. Well, I'm pretty dissapointed at the fact I have no feedback yet :'(. So, yeah, if nobody is reading I'm just going to stop and keep my work to myself mwahaha ;). But, yeah, if you're a silent reader drop by and let me know what you think. It would be much appreciated, otherwise I might not continue. Thank you for reading :)**

* * *

><p>"<em>What made you pick me, Peter?" I said after I finished admiring Neverland from the beach where we had landed. <em>

"_Pick you?"_

"_To come here. After all, you always picked the Darlings before. Why change now and why pick me?"_

"_Well, I suppose it was just chance I stumbled upon you. I saw you sword fighting with some boys on the street, pretend of course, and...you looked real happy. So, I followed you home and, well, you always told your parents you'd never grow up. You liked stories about me," he grinned "well who wouldn't?"_

"_I can think of a few who don't believe in you." I said, not wanting to be mean, just to put Peter back in his place. _

"_Yes, well," Peter coughed and continued "the thing that really made me stick around for you is when you said that if Peter Pan ever came for you, you'd leave without looking back." He looked away for a minute then turned and grinned at me "and you did."_

"_I suppose so. But why not just go for another Darling? Why even bother to look for someone else?"_

"_Well...the Darlings are starting to bore me. They're a well off family, all prim and proper. The girls, they're just so similar and they always go home. They always act the same. I thought, maybe, you'd be different or...maybe..."_

"_What?"_

"_Well, Catherine Darling hasn't been here yet. So, I was going to bring her. I thought it might be different if you were here too."_

* * *

><p>I thought there was nothing for it but to go exploring. This was Neverland, no doubt about it so first things first: find Peter Pan. I dragged my feet up the beach, shivering a little as the wind passed through my water logged clothes. Of all the times I wanted to come back to Neverland, it would be now, wouldn't it? When everything was wrong. When it might not even be Neverland anymore. "Oh, Peter. What happened?" I said, even though there was nobody to hear me.<p>

I made my way into the forest reluctantly. I glanced around me, taking in the strange bushes and plants, some of them dying. That was when I felt my foot sink into something. I looked down at the boggy marshland covering the majority of the ground and I groaned. I'd either get stuck somewhere or just have to trudge through it all until I found Peter or The Lost Boys or Tinker Bell or even the Indians for that matter. Why, at this moment in time I'd even be glad to see Hook himself. But I wouldn't cry.

No.

I couldn't cry. There was no point, anyway. What good would it do me? So I gritted my teeth and bit back the salty drops threatening to come cascading down my cheeks. I plodded doggedly on through the marsh and mud, sometimes it came up to my knees and other times my waist. I picked up a fallen stick to help me along, not that it did much good and I found myself flat on my face more than on my feet.

For the umpteenth time I hauled myself up into a standing position and sighed. I didn't even bother to try and wipe the grime off my face now and I just raked my filthy hands through my hair, moving it from my eyes. I muttered to myself every now and then "you could have given me a little more fairy dust Peter," or "where are you when I need you?" or "where on Earth am I?" It wasn't exactly one of my best moments and at times I felt like breaking down and sobbing. But I didn't. I'm not a wimp.

The good thing was, I was no longer hundreds of feet in the air so I could think of as many unhappy thoughts as I liked. But as my mind began to wander, I realised I was much better off sticking to the good times.

* * *

><p>"<em>Where is she? Catherine?"<em>

_Peter laughed. A carefree laugh that made you want to smile. A laugh that made you forget for a minute. "Silly, I've not brought her yet. No. Thought I'd show you around first."_

"_Any particular reason?" I said, my curiosity awakened. _

"_Do you need one?" Said Peter, answering my question with a question of his own. "You should be thankful."_

"_I am." I said "don't worry! You have no idea how glad I am to be here."_

"_Well, then. I suppose you'd better meet the others." He hovered in the air for a moment and held out his hand "need a hand?" He said._

"_No." I said, flying beside him and sticking my tongue out "I'm quite capable myself."_

"_You'll never be as good as me though." Said Peter, winking at me._

"_You just watch me." I said, smiling. "Just watch me."_

"_Fine, then. I'll race you. Go!" He set off before I even had chance to register what he said. _

"_Hey!" I shouted as I took off after him "hey! I don't know where I'm going."_

"_Your problem, not mine." Laughed Peter "just follow me."_

"_Someday, Pan. I'm going to show you."_

"_Keep dreaming. Now hurry up or we won't be back by dark." That boy...I grimaced and forced myself to fly faster, although it wasn't easy with all the tree branches. They were like long arms, almost purposely trying to grab me and slow me down. Then something happened and I began to fall, slowly at first and then gaining speed. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts- Oh dear. I'd run out of pixie dust. I shrieked as a branch met me full on, knocking the breath out of me. Someone grabbed my arms, preventing me from falling further. _

"_Whoa, are you alright?" Said Peter, actual concern in his voice._

"_Alright," I gasped, "no thanks to you." _

"_Sorry about that." Said Peter, sheepishly "I forgot this would happen. I don't have any more pixie dust and Tinker Bell is back at the hideout."_

"_So...it's a draw?" _

"_Yes, a draw." Agreed Peter. But as he drew his arm around my waist to get a better grip he said quietly next to my ear "but I would have won." _


End file.
